Rodri Acknowledges He Cannot Change Manchester City’s Fortunes Like Messi

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Rodri expressed that he cannot single-handedly change Manchester City's fate after their 2-1 loss to Brighton. "I'm not Messi," he quipped. This was Rodri's first Premier League start in 11 months, following an ACL injury against Arsenal last September. Initially, City took control with Erling Haaland scoring in the 34th minute, and they faced only one shot in the first half.

However, the game shifted when Brighton's manager Fabian Hurzeler made four substitutions around the hour mark. Two substitutes, James Milner and Brajan Gruda, scored to secure a comeback win for Brighton. This marked City's first Premier League defeat with Rodri starting since February 2023, when they lost 1-0 to Tottenham.

Rodri had an impressive 49-game unbeaten streak when starting, which was the second-longest in Premier League history. Only Sol Campbell had a longer run with Arsenal from 2002 to 2004, spanning 56 matches. Despite being the Ballon d'Or holder, Rodri acknowledged his limitations compared to Lionel Messi.

"I'm not Messi. I'm not going to come back and make the team win and win," Rodri stated. He emphasized that football is a team effort and that past victories required contributions from all teammates. Rodri stressed the importance of recovering and finding his best form again.

Manchester City has lost two of their first three games this season, a situation they haven't faced since the 2004-05 campaign. That year, they missed out on European football on the final day after drawing with Middlesbrough. Only Manchester United has recovered from such a start to win the title in 1992-93.

City's next challenge is against Manchester United on September 14. Rodri hopes for improvement after the break, stating: "It's not like, because I'm back, we're going to win. It's a collective sport." He remains optimistic about returning stronger with his teammates.